Change and persistence in marriage payments in Vietnam, 1963-2000

• Main Authors: TEERAWICHITCHAINAN, Bussarawan Puk, KNODEL, John
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2011
• Subjects: Asian Studies; Family, Life Course, and Society; Gender and Sexuality
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2440; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/3697/viewcontent/MarriagePayments_1963_2011.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Among various marriage and family practices, economic exchange at the time of marriage is one of the most multifaceted and complex. Prevalence, direction, magnitude, and property rights of marriage payments can vary considerably over time and across societies. Despite their implications for the wellbeing of family members and the distribution of wealth across generations, trends and determinants of payments have rarely been examined at the population level. Based on representative data from the Vietnam Study of Family Change, we describe temporal trends, cohort patterns, and regional differences in payments among Vietnamese marriages contracted during 1963-2000 to ascertain influences of cultural orientations, socioeconomic conditions, and policies, particularly those banning payments. Given Vietnam’s recent structural change altered gender role ideology and parent-child relationships, we examine whether couple’s socioeconomic background and manner of mate selection determine payments. Findings are interpreted with the aim to understand nature, social meanings, and complex patterns of payments in the context of rapid social change.